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The Center On Rural Innovation is a nonprofit action tank advancing economic prosperity in rural America through the creation of inclusive digital economy ecosystems that support scalable entrepreneurship and tech job creation. We are seeking an innovative leader who is committed to expanding access to tech jobs for workers living in rural America.

Guided by a strong belief in rural ingenuity and small-town potential, CORI and its collaborating organization, Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc. (RISI), provide strategic support to rural communities wanting to develop inclusive, resilient digital ecosystems. Our systems approach to digital economy ecosystems involves building a nationwide network of local economic change agents; increasing the digital workforce and access to digital jobs both local to rural areas and remote; using mapping and data to highlight rural opportunities; making direct investments in underserved rural entrepreneurs; and closing the digital ide so all Americans can participate in the 21st century digital economy. We are currently working with 25 towns across 18 states in the Rural Innovation Network to execute on this model.

Rural America is home to 15% of the workforce overall, but just 5% of the tech workforce. Smaller populations and lack of broadband in rural areas have historically translated into inequities in access to training in fast growing tech careers, leading rural employers to outsource their tech demand to urban market. This has led to a vicious cycle in which there is never enough demand to justify tech training in rural areas, and because training is not available, employers continue to outsource their tech needs. CORI aims to break this cycle by showing that digital economy jobs and tech talent can exist in rural areas, and we are seizing the moment to create a more equitable distribution of accessible future-proof jobs.

The Head of Future of Work will lead efforts to accelerate the growth of the tech workforce in the RIN Communities – with a specific focus on women and BIPOC workers – in jobs that offer opportunities for career advancement and pay higher than the median income in the region. This cutting edge work to bridge the digital ide has been funded by national organizations like the Ascendium Education Group, Walmart, and the Siegel Family Endowment.

This position will lead a team of program managers and associates and partner with community leaders, training providers, employers, and civic organizations to co-develop and execute workforce development strategies that equip and enable rural workers and organizations to expand a digital workforce and technology jobs.

The Head of Future of Work will:

• Lead a growing FOW team, driving recruitment, learning, and professional development, while developing systems that support a high performing team.
• Build and manage national partnerships with training organizations and large tech employers.
• Supervise, support, and ensure the high quality execution of FOW program activities, including piloting innovative training programs, building a platform to support rural tech workers, creating toolkits and other resources for rural workforce development leaders, and developing a network of local and national employers committed to hiring rural tech workers.
• Evaluate FOW programs, and draw upon those learnings to design innovative solutions to increase rural tech employment and continuously refine and strengthen CORI’s FOW strategy.
• Partner with the Director of the Rural Innovation Network, Executive Director, and Director of Development to design fundable programs that build the digital workforce development capacity of RIN members through pilot training programs, tech career awareness campaigns, and other efforts.
• Manage FOW program budgets, staffing, and grant reporting.
• Advise RIN members in best practices for expanding access to digital skills training through local workforce development systems.
• Draw upon knowledge of workforce development systems and labor markets to understand and assess market demand and ensure that CORI’s FOW programs align with those needs.
• Use an understanding of the needs and challenges faced by rural tech workers and learners – particularly women, BIPOC, and Latinx workers – to design systems that rural workers can access to connect to and advance in tech employment.

Requirements

• Experience managing remote teams and guiding professional development
• Experience developing workforce development strategies, specifically in technology sector jobs
• Experience working with erse populations, specifically connecting women, BIPOC, and Latinx workers to tech employment
• Connections in the tech industry and experience working with employers and trainers of tech talent
• Experience working in a fast pace, entrepreneurial, and collaborative environment
• The ability to turn findings into usable content and resources
• Experience teaching and sharing best practices through online events and facilitated working groups
• A passion for supporting the economic development of rural communities

Essential job functions and requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate iniduals with disabilities.

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the job and the general nature and level of work performed by job holders within this job. However, this job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position. This job description is general and may evolve over time. The description is subject to periodic updating. At management’s discretion, the employee may be assigned different and/or additional duties or responsibilities.

Location: Remote

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Cover letters are required. If you are applying via a platform that does not have a cover letter field, please include one in your resume file, otherwise your application will not be considered.
• Due to the pace of this search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
• We will manage the application and review process using our Workable platform. Please direct all inquiries through this system. We are unable to respond to phone inquiries at this time.

Benefits

• Personal and professional development opportunities
• Health, dental, and short-term disability insurance
• 15 days PTO first year, 7 public holidays
• Employer matched 401k after 90 days
• The salary for this position is $85,000-$100,000, depending on experience.

You’ll enjoy working here if:

• You value an entrepreneurial culture that encourages teammates to think boldly, take risks, and learn from experience
• You appreciate an independent work environment that supports erse work styles and preferences
• You want to be part of collaborative and interested team that finds opportunities to engage each other and have fun (whether in the office or dialing in)
• You like the idea of an open and transparent organization that embraces honest conversations and new ideas

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer—people of color, people with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to a erse workplace, and to supporting our staff with ongoing career development opportunities. We are interested in your ambitions, personal experiences, great ideas, and passions, and believe that everyone’s unique story and perspective adds value to our organization.